#5 Campo Verde and #1 Sunrise Mountain thrived with their ground games this season, but only one enjoyed the success it normally produces in Friday's 5A state semifinal game.

Sunrise Mountain piled up 352 rushing yards and mostly time-consuming scores in each quarter in a decisive 28-3 win over Campo Verde at Sunrise Mountain HS.

Sunrise Mountain (8-2) advances to the school's first-ever championship football game Friday Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. at North Canyon High School. The Mustangs get a rematch from one of its two losses facing #6 Ironwood. Ironwood (7-2) also won decisively, 41-22, over #7 Notre Dame Prep. Sunrise Mountain and Ironwood competed in the Desert West Region this season. They played on Oct. 30 with Ironwood prevailing, 20-11. Sunrise Mountain coach Steve Decker and staff have won better than three-fourths of games (45-14) the last five seasons. The Mustangs need one more next week to hit the highest of notes. 

Standout senior running back Tommy Arnold led a three-back attack rushing for Sunrise Mountain with 183 yards and three touchdowns. He struck paydirt on runs on 1, 1 and 2 yards. Campo Verde never got its ground game untracked. The Coyotes were limited to 19 yards on 13 rushes in the first half. Campo Verde finished up its first season under Ryan Freeman at 5-3.

Campo Verde senior running back Caden Calloway endured a tough night. He carried 10 times for 16 yards and tweaked an ankle in the opening half. He was on the field for a couple plays in the third period, but did not get a carry. Time of possession went heavily to Sunrise Mountain - 31 minutes to 17 further styming the Coyotes. 

Arnold was the showcase back on the opening drive of the game. He carried seven of the eight plays that covered 69 yards for 7-0 lead with 7:52 left in the quarter. Arnold picked up 66 of the 69 yards. Arnold cruised past the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the shortened season needing 95 yards to pass the mark. His three scores give him 17 for the season.

Campo Verde scored its only points on a late first-quarter drive that spilled into the first couple minutes of the second. A 30-yard field goal by Connor McLaughlin were the only points of the night for the Coyotes with 9:31 left to halftime. 

Sunrise Mountain used its only pass completion in the game as for the key play (29 yards) on a 58-yard drive ending in Arnold's second short TD run. It gave  the Mustangs a 14-3 lead they took to intermission.

Campo Verde opened the third quarter with solid field position as Sunrise Mountain kicked off short all game. Campo started the third period at its 42, but posted a three-and-out. Six of Campo's first seven possessions through the third quarter began between its 38 and midfield. 

Sunrise Mountain put the outcome to bed with its first possession of the third period, marching 80 yards in 10 plays for a 21-3 lead. Arnold, Julian Esber and Brandon Bogard shared the duties capped by Arnold's third TD. 

The exclamation point on the victory was Sunrise Mountain's final possession. The Mustangs drove 79 yards in 12 plays and ate up eight minutes of clock with Bogard doing the scoring honors from the 1 with 3:09 left.